


A Little Bit of Magic

by Sent2TheBeast



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Other, Parent!Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 07:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7093030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sent2TheBeast/pseuds/Sent2TheBeast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rafael doesn't understand that Shadowhunters don't have magic like warlocks do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Bit of Magic

Alec's eyebrows knotted in confusion as the sound of banging muffled by the wall tugged him slowly out of sleep. He blinked until his eyes adjusted to the gentle light seeping into the bedroom. Magnus' warm body curled lovingly against Max, both still fast asleep beside him. He groaned and swung his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing exhaustion from his face and neck and listening to the satisfying sound of every joint in his body cracking simultaneously. 

 

His Shadowhunter training meant that his footsteps were unheard as he left the room and traced the familiar path to Max and Rafael's room. Alec opened the door and leaned against the frame, watching the frustrated form of his eldest son, sitting criss crossed on the floor, palms resting up on his legs, head ducked, and surrounded by a plethora of objects ranging from plastic pirate figurines to books of warlock spells. Alec's eyes did not leave his son as he saw Rafe's body shaking in effort, a small grunt escaping from his lips, before he groaned in frustration, wrapped his fingers around the closest object, and flung it across the room. 

 

"Rafe?" Alec whispered, holding back a chuckle as Rafael shot almost three feet in the air, yelping in surprise, before he turned to look at his father. "What's going on?"

 

"Nothing," he mumbled, looking down at the ground and sniffling. 

 

It took less than a second for Alec to make his way across the room and plop down on the floor next to his son, taking his small hands in his large ones. "Rafe," he said gently. 

 

"It's not working," Rafael said after a second. "I'm trying really hard," 

 

"What's not working?"

 

"My magic," Rafe looked up, tears brimming in his eyes, lip beginning to tremble. 

 

"Your...magic?"

 

"Yeah, like Papa and Max. They use their magic all the time, but mine doesn't work," 

 

"That's because you're not a warlock, and Papa and Max are," Alec tried to make his voice sound gentle and loving, trying to let the news settle calmly on Rafe's shoulders. 

 

"So?"

 

"So," Alec sighed, searching his brain for the right way to deal with this situation. He wished Magnus was awake, Magnus was always better with this kind of thing "Your magic is different. _Our_ magic is different, we need a little help with ours," and suddenly the best idea ever popped into his head. "Stay right here, I'll be right back," he shot up and bounded out of the room, practically running to his nightstand where he kept his stele carefully tucked away. "Do you know what this is?" Alec asked Rafael once he had come back to his kid's room. 

 

"Mmhmm," Rafe nodded "It's a stele,"

 

"Yep, the Shadowhunter's magic wand," he twirled it casually in his fingers. "Unlike Papa and Max, we need a little help with ours. That doesn't mean you're magic isn't as important or as powerful as theirs, okay?"

 

Rafe nodded vigorously "Okay," 

 

"And what we can't do with our magic, we do with other things,"

 

"Like your archery?"

 

Alec smiled "Yes, like that. Your training is there to fill in the gaps," Alec rolled his stele between his fingers absentmindedly. "Come here," he lifted his arms and waved his hand, prompting Rafael to crawl straight into his lap, snuggling against the warmth of his chest. Alec wrapped his arms around his son and lifted him up, walking him out to the living room, and straight to the stack of books on top of the fire place. He shifted Raf to one side of his body so he could grab the book of runes. He lowered the two of them to the floor, and opened the book in front of him, coughing a bit as dust rose up from its pages. "This is a book documenting every bit of magic we have...well almost all of them...Aunty Clary has added a couple new ones over the last couple of years,"

 

"Really?" Rafe twisted in Alec's lap to look at his father's face, Alec nodded. "Cool!"

 

"I think you're old enough..." Alec made his voice musing, as if he was actually debating whether or not to teach his dear, sweet Shadowhunter child the ins and outs of his culture.  _Please_ as if there was even any question Alec would be doing this right now. He dropped his stele into the surprised hands of Rafael, who gripped it so tightly, Alec was actually a little afraid that it would shatter from the pressure. Rafe lifted it up to his eyeline to exam it in more detail. 

 

"Wowwww," he stated under his breath. 

 

"Lets start with a couple simple ones, okay?" Alec flipped through the book until he got closer to the front where the runes typically used for training the next generation of hunters resided. His heart skipped a beat when his eyes skirted over...no, that one was too complicated for Rafe's first attempt. "hmmm...this one," Alec's thin, calloused fingers tapped gently over the rune "it's the deflect rune, it helps block attacks," 

 

"I draw it?"

 

"Yessir?"

 

"Where?" Alec contemplated for a moment, not yet willing to let Rafael experience the subtle stinging of drawing a rune over skin. The furrow in his brow broadened to light his face up in a giant smile as an idea passed through his brain. "On the floor,"

 

"The floor?! Won't Papa be mad?" Alec leaned over and kissed the top of Rafe's head. 

 

"No," he responded with a slight chuckle, "Papa will definitely not be mad," Alec scooted them closer to the edge of the ornate rug, so that when Rafe leaned down from Alec's lap his palms were flat against the wood floor. Alec cheeks were hurting from smiling so hard at seeing Rafe doubled over in concentration, his tongue sticking slightly out of his mouth, sweat forming on his brow as he tried as hard as he could to copy the rune down, the tip of the stele burning the wood, making the room smell like a bonfire. 

 

"I think I'm done!" Rafe squares his shoulders proudly and points to his efforts.

 

Alec leaned forward to examine the rune, and whistles "Aunty Clary would be proud," and Alec's heart melted at the brightness of the smile that appeared on Rafe's face. "Do you want to see if it works?" Alec wiggled his eyebrows mischievously, wrapping an arm securely around his son as he stood up, gently throwing Rafe over his shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes, making Rafael giggle. Alec helped him slide down from his shoulder when they got back to Rafe's room and placed him delicately on the floor. 

 

"What are we doing Daddy?" Rafe asked, looking up at Alec. In response, Alec leaned over and grabbed a handful of plastic pirate figurines, two stuffed animals, and a couple alphabet blocks. "Grab what you want," Alec stated simply, turning around to head back to the living, it didn't take long for the sound of little feet to start up behind him. "Stand in front of me," Alec said, taking his spot on the carpet. "Ready?" Alec asked, wiggling his eyebrow at his son. 

 

"For wha-" Rafe started to ask, right as a small plastic figurine went flying through the air, arching straight toward his rune, but right before it could hit its mark with Alec's deadly archer accuracy, it was thrown violently to the right and went skidding across the floor. "WOW!" Rafe was almost giddy. 

 

"It works kiddo," Alec said, as he threw another tiny object, to the same result. He nudged his son with his elbow "Your turn," Rafe's toy followed almost exactly the same path as his father's and Alec once again found himself utterly impressed and incredibly proud at his son's abilities "Remind me to take you for target practice some time. I think you could beat out Uncle Jace," 

 

"He'd be so mad," Rafe said after a moment, with a laugh. 

 

"Yes he would," amusement tugged at Alec's lips. 

 

***

Magnus was thrown violently out of sleep with a rather unattractive snort, he wiped drool from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. "Papa?" a small voice asked from beside him.

 

"Good morning blueberry," Magnus smiled softly, leaning over to shower Max with kisses, gaining a small patch of giggles from his son, before he lifted him out of bed. "Shall we go see what Daddy is up to?"

 

"Mmhmm," Magnus felt Max nod against his shoulder, the small tips of his horns tickling Magnus' neck. Magnus put the toddler on the ground once he had opened the door to his bedroom, watching him totter towards the sound of laughter coming from the living room. 

 

"Alexander?" Magnus called. 

 

"In here!" Magnus rolled his eyes, always so specific. A wooden block came sliding around the corner, knocking against Max's toes and setting him off balance. Magnus managed to catch him before he could fall. 

 

"Rafe!" Max cooed excitedly as he rounded the corner of the couch, his brother coming into view. 

 

"Morning Maxie,"

 

"What're you doin'?" 

 

"Daddy is teaching magic,"

 

"Magic?" Max and Magnus asked at the same time, Max conjuring a small ball of purple magic in his hand, Magnus turning his eyes to his lover in confusion. 

 

"Shadowhunter magic," Alec clarified, pointing to the dark rune on the floor. 

 

"Ah," Magnus needed no further explanation, at least for the time being. 

 

"Want to try?" Rafael asked his brother, handing him a pillow that was almost the same size as he was. "Just drop it right there," Rafael pointed to his handiwork. Max waddled awkwardly toward the rune and dropped the pillow almost directly over it, giggling in delight when the pillow shot to the side. Rafe handed Max a toy pirate, Max dropped it over the rune, and laughed even harder when it went flying across the room. 

 

"It's called a rune," Rafael stated matter of factly, his brother responsibility of teaching Max everything he could kicking in, "this one deflects things, that means that it makes things go away before it gets hit."

 

"Cool!" Max took another toy proffered by his brother and dropped it over the rune, watching as the toy went bouncing down the hallway. 

 

"Do you want to see more?" Rafe asked his brother, pointing to the book still open on the rug. 

 

"Yeah!" and Alec's heart swelled watching his warlock son practically jumping around in excitement as his Shadowhunter brother took him the hand and pulled him down against his side by the book. 

 

"Daddy, what does this one mean?" Rafe turned his head, Alec moved from his spot to sit cross legged behind his kids, soon joined by Magnus, who hooked one arm through his and leaned his head against Alec's shoulder. 

 

"That one means love," Alec informed him, watching the steady rise and fall of Magnus' chest, and nuzzling his cheek against the top of Magnus' head. Alec was finding it very hard to fight back tears as he surveyed the scene in front of him, realizing that he never thought it was possible for one man to be this happy. 

 

"It's pretty,"  Max mused. 

 

"Yeah it is," Alec murmured. Magnus moved to look at Alec, his golden cat eyes shining wildly and Alec thought, yes, he could die any day and be happy, because his life was absolutely perfect. The Lightwood-Banes spent the entire day flipping through the book of runes, occasionally letting Rafe practice his skills, and Magnus only flinched a little at the ruining of his floors. 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
